1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for compiling a database of plants, and the use of the database for the identification of plant species and genera. In one aspect of the invention, the process is based on the characteristics of the plant's apical complex. The present invention also relates generally to methods and apparatus for providing search results in response to a search query provided by a user.
2. Description of Related Art
A long-standing problem that has frustrated anyone seeking to identify an unknown plant specimen using traditional resources is the inability to simply and accurately identify the plant species and its genus based on the specimen's physical traits.
Presently, there are limited methods for identifying a plant species. One common method of identifying a plant species include the use of the internet to search through various electronic databases. However, websites containing these relatively limited databases are generally designed to provide information relating to a known species of a plant, and therefore, one must have prior knowledge of the species in order to use the databases effectively. For a novice who is unfamiliar with plant identification or botanical terminology, there are many obstacles for searching the database. Therefore, without the knowledge of additional botanical terms beyond the simple description of a plant specimen, such as a leaf or a flower, it may be difficult to perform an effective search in order to identify the plant genus or the plant species.
Another common method of identifying a plant is with the use of literary sources, such as texts and encyclopedia that document various plant species. Although the publications may include pictures, photographs and descriptions of a plant, there are no systematic documentations or procedures established among the publications.
Similarly, there exists various methods, apparatus and systems for uniquely identifying human individuals by their particular physical characteristics, such as the individual's unique finger prints, palm prints, iris, facial features, or combinations thereof. For example, particular facial parameters such as the distances between identifiable points on the human face, and/or ratios of the facial parameters may be used to identify an individual as the parameters for each individual are unique. Particular parameters such as the distance between the eye retinae, the distance from each eye retinae to the nose bottom and to the mouth center, and the distance from the nose bottom to the mouth center are set forth. The technologies have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,969 and references cited therein.
In addition, standard methods known in the art that are used for the identification of unidentified plant species utilizes one's ability to distinguish particular characteristics of the plant's leaves, stems, flowers, seeds, and roots. However, none of those provides a omnipresent, definite and unique identifying characteristic for identifying the plant species. Therefore, there is a need for establishing a systematic method for compiling a database of plant species to assist in the identification of unidentified or known plants for both novices and experts in the field.